Health Indicator Report of Suicide

Why Is This Important?

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans and 14th among New Jerseyans. The average annual suicide count among New Jersey residents is nearly 700 and there are more than twice as many suicides as homicides in the state.

Health Objectives and Targets

Healthy People Objective: Reduce the suicide rate

Other Objectives

'''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-3''': Reduce the age-adjusted mortality rate due to suicide per 100,000 standard population to 5.9 for the total population, 7.0 among Whites, 2.5 among Blacks, 3.5 among Hispanics, and 4.0 among Asians.
'''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-3''': Reduce the age-adjusted mortality rate due to suicide per 100,000 standard population to 5.9 for the total population, 7.0 among Whites, 2.5 among Blacks, 5.5 among Hispanics, and 4.6 among Asians.

Current Outlook

How Are We Doing?

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among New Jersey residents aged 10-29 years, fifth among those aged 30-34, fourth among those aged 35-49, and 14th among all ages. Suicide has been increasing in New Jersey in recent years, going from about 500 deaths in 2005 to 789 in 2015. In 2016, deaths due to suicide dropped to 687, but the number is expected to climb again in 2017.
The majority (60%) of suicides are White males and the age-adjusted death rate among this group is about double that of any other racial/ethnic/sex group. County rates per 100,000 population (age-adjusted) in 2016 range from 4.6 in Passaic to 17.9 in Sussex.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

New Jersey's age-adjusted suicide rate is the second lowest in the nation, after D.C., and is consistently well below the national rate.

Health Improvement Resources

What Is Being Done?

In 2013, the [http://www.njhopeline.com/ NJ Hopeline Call Center] was launched to serve as a backup to the [https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline] network during times of excess call volume or after the Lifeline Crisis Centers' operating hours.
The New Jersey [http://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/New%20Jersey%202015-preventionplan.pdf Strategy for Youth Suicide Prevention 2015] was developed by community partners and the [https://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/boards/njyspac/ New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council] to guide the State's efforts to prevent youth suicides and the [http://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/New%20Jersey%20Adult%20Suicide%20Prevention%20Plan%20Final%202014-17.pdf Adult Suicide Prevention Plan 2014-2017] from the NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services contains strategies and actions in addition to crisis responses for the specific concerns related to adult suicide. The next Adult Suicide Prevention Plan 2018-2023 is nearly finalized, and features the [https://zerosuicide.sprc.org/ Zero Suicide Initiative].
The Governor's Study Commission on Violence [http://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases15/pr20151013a.html released a report] of recommendations to the Governor on ways to combat all types of violence from a public health perspective in October, 2015.
The New Jersey Department of Health maintains the [http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njvdrs/ New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System] (NJVDRS), a CDC-funded surveillance system that tracks suicides, homicides, unintentional firearm deaths, injury deaths of undetermined intent, and deaths by legal intervention and is used to educate public health and public safety professionals in the state and inform their interventions and decision-making, with the ultimate goal of reducing the incidence of violent deaths. NJVDRS is part of the [https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nvdrs/index.html National Violent Death Reporting System], which now funds 42 states and territories and as of 2018, is being expanded to include the remaining states, making a truly national system. CHS has analyzed firearm suicides, adolescent suicides, and suicide among police officers in collaboration with the New Jersey State Attorney General's Office as part of the [https://www.nj.gov/oag/library/NJPoliceSuicideTaskForceReport-January-30-2009-Final(r2.3.09).pdf Governor's Task Force on Police Suicide].
CHS was involved in a collaborative effort with other state and community agencies, culminating in the release of [http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/documents/injury_prevention.pdf Preventing Injury in New Jersey: Priorities for Action], a comprehensive set of recommendations for injury and violence prevention. Recommendations to prevent suicide included the development and implementation of community-based suicide prevention programs and to promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm, including firearm safety awareness.

The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published
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